Anacor nails fungus drug approval

In a race to reach people with a painful and ugly toenail fungus, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc. won early regulatory approval Tuesday to sell its topical treatment.

The Palo Alto company (NASDAQ: ANAC), which expected a decision from the Food and Drug Administration by July 29, said Tuesday that the FDA approved Kerydin to treat onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail and nail bed.

But while Kerydin is the first antifungal of its type approved for onychomycosis, Anacor is far from alone in its quest to reach the 35 million Americans with the infection. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. (NYSE: VRX) of Canada won FDA approval last month for its topical treatment, branded as Jublia, and privately held Topica Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Los Altos expects results this year from a late-stage trial of its treatment, called luliconazole.

What's more, there are several homespun but scientifically untested treatments, including soaking feet in a mixture of Listerine and vinegar.

Current topical treatments are seen as limited because they typically involve scraping, cutting or removing the nail. Oral treatments have carried serious side effects.